1. Field of the Invention
Retroviruses as the vectors of human diseases have only recently been established. The first retrovirus shown to cause cancer was the human T-lymphoma/leukemia virus-I (HTLV-I). Poiosz et al., Proc. Nat'l. Acad Sci. (1980), 77, 6815. A second retrovirus was reported as being present in hairy cell leukemia cells and was referred to as HTLV-II. Kalyanaraman et al., ibid. (1982) 218:571. These two viruses are capable of transformation, have a T-cell tropism and a reverse transcriptase requirement for magnesium.
With lymphadenopathy syndrome (LAS) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) becoming a major health threat, substantial efforts have been made to determine the cause of the disease. The syndrome differed from the diseases caused by the human retroviruses HTLV-I and HTLV-II, in that the agent did not transform the host cells to a neoplastic state, but rather was cytotoxic to the host cells. It shared a similar property to the earlier discovered retroviruses in having a T-cell tropism, particularly helper cells. It was early found that the syndrome could be transmitted by blood transfusions. A carrier of the disease who was a source of blood could be a transmitter of the disease to a person receiving that blood. It has, therefore, become a major effort to find ways to screen blood to detect whether the donor may have been infected with the pathogenic cause of the disease.
2. Description of the Art
Descriptions of LAV, HTLV-III and ARV may be found in Barre-Sinoussi et al., Science (1983) 220:868; Montagnier et al., Cold Spring Harbor Symposium (1984), in press; Vilmer et al., Lancet (1984) 1:753; Popovic et al., Science (1984) 224:497; Gallo et al., Science (1984) 224:500; Feorino et al., Science (1984) 225:69-72; Klatzman et al., Science (1984) 225:59-62; Montagnier et al., ibid (1984) 225:63-66; Levy et al., Science (1984) 225:840-842; Montagnier et al., Ann. Virol. (Institut Pasteur 1984, 135E, 119-134; Kalyanaraman et al., Science (1984) 225:321; and Ray et al., Science (1984) 225:321; and Ray et al., Biochem. and Biophys. Res. Comm. (1984) 121:126.